Viral diseases represent a global and systemic health challenge. Recent pandemics have highlighted the close connections between human, animal, and environmental health, in a context marked by the accelerated degradation of ecosystems and the interdependence of a globalized economy.

A comprehensive approach to viruses is essential to better understand the key interactions that sustain a unified concept of health (One Health). This approach aims to improve prevention and societal adaptation to health crises by incorporating a deep understanding of viral diversity and their ability to adapt to various hosts—human and non-human—across diverse environments.

The Virome@tlas project aspires to develop a cloud-based digital platform for global virus surveillance. This platform will analyze interactions between viruses, their hosts, and their environments to better understand their geographic distribution and the mechanisms behind epidemic emergence.

By integrating massive sequencing data from living organisms—available in public archives—with large-scale geographic data, this innovative tool will help identify priority geographic areas, animals, and viruses to monitor, thereby strengthening global preparedness for future pandemics.

This work is supported by a grant from the French National Research Agency as part of the “Investissements d’Avenir ExcellencES” program from France 2030 (SHAPE-Med@Lyon ; ANR- 22-EXES-0012)